Gundam SEED: Memories of Sorrow: Version 2
by djb21212-Steeldramon21
Summary: How much would one event change the course of so many destinies? KiraCagalli. First chapter reposted 9:24:2003.


Mobile Suit Gundam SEED  
  
Memories of Sorrow: version 2.0  
  
Rewritten by: djb21212  
  
Disclaimer: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Gundam Wing, Turn-A-Gundam, and After War Gundam X are owned by Bandai and Sunrise.  
  
Introduction: Many people are wondering why I am rewriting this story despite the fact that Kagari is Kira's sister and she and Asuran are lovers. Well, to be honest, despite all of this I wanted to write this story anyway. I remade this story as an alternate universe, or AU, based on the "Turn-A" theory that all Gundam universes are connected so there will be key references to other Gundam series, characters, and relationships. Also, most of the things that made no sense have been stripped out. Finally, most of this will follow the canon storyline to a certain point.  
  
A special dedication goes to Evangelion_Unit-03, who remained a Kira/Cagalli fan despite how the series is turning and inspired me to return with this story, and to Heero de Fanel, who writes some of the best Asuran/Lacus stories you can find.  
  
I'm reminding again that this is an AU, so please no flames telling me that this or that won't work or that I shouldn't put "name/name" together. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it. For those who stay, enjoy "Memories of Sorrow: Version 2.0" and send a review.  
  
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Part 1  
  
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Pain shot through Kira Yamato's eyes as he forced them open, feeling the blood pound within his head. His eyes adjusted to the darkness as he slowly looked around, letting him see the inside of the Strike Gundam's cockpit. As he raised his hands to his flight helmet, Kira suddenly became aware of the many bruises and cuts on his body, the pain making his movements like fire through his muscles. He soon removed his helmet and his restraints and leaned upward, forcing the cockpit door open. The smell of fresh air entered as Kira freed himself from his metallic prison.  
  
He slowly pulled himself out and fell to the sandy ground of the Orb kingdom's desert, taking in the sight before him as he felt the soft surface under him with astonishment. Stretching out for miles were the remains of several mobile suits, the rising flames from unburned fuels a strong testament to the battle which took place. The Strike Gundam was moderately damaged, the Aile pack still attached to the mobile suit's back leaking fuel to the desert floor, one of the top wings completely destroyed. Kira rose to his feet in disbelief, still finding it hard to accept the very reality of the devastation in front of him. Suddenly a chill ran through him like a shockwave, despite the warmth of the burning pieces of metal around him.  
  
Kagari was still out there!  
  
Kira moved through the flaming wreckage, desperately searching for any sign of his friend in the wasteland or the Sky Grasper she had piloted. All he saw was the sight of the damaged Strike Gundam surrounded by the blazing debris. He called to her, silently praying to whomever was listening that Kagari could hear him, that she was still alive somewhere. No answer was given as Kira sank to his knees, defeated and tired from his injuries. The emptiness grew stronger inside of him, adding to his feelings of hopelessness. It was then that he thought he saw a small flash away from the wreckage, farther into the desert. Kira shook his head free of his current distress and pulled himself to his feet, looking over the horizon for the light he saw.  
  
"Kagari!" Kira called out as he followed the beacon of light, his hope growing stronger with each step. As he moved beyond the field of flaming debris, he came to another surrounding the downed and damaged form of the Sky Grasper. Fear crept into Kira's heart as he dashed towards the aircraft, his heart beating faster and faster in his chest. With each step, he could feel the shockwaves of pain vibrating through his injured legs, forcing him back down to the soft sand of the desert. He ignored it as he pulled himself up, focusing instead on the ruined Sky Grasper he was drawing closer to, the tears in his dark blue eyes blurring his vision.  
  
Kira eventually collapsed against the cool metal of the aircraft's cockpit hatch, the pain of his injuries overwhelming him. With as much strength as he could summon, he gripped the manual controls and forced the cockpit open. He looked inside and saw Kagari slumped in her seat, blood on some of the controls and her face from several cuts on her body.  
  
He called to the unconscious girl, hoping that she would somehow hear his voice and wake up. When no answer came, Kira climbed inside the cockpit and pulled at Kagari's restraints, freeing her from the seat. Her exposed skin was cold, somewhat wet to the touch. Kira quickly checked her pulse and a feeling of horror raced through him. She wasn't breathing. With his last resources of strength, he pulled his friend free of their metallic cocoon, laying her gently on the soft ground. In the light of the burning wreckage, Kira could see various cuts on Kagari's body, some still bleeding from her being moved. Acting quickly, he opened Kagari's green vest and pinched her nose shut. Their lips touched as he breathed life back into her body. He then pressed down on her chest with both hands and started counting, praying to whatever God was listening that his friend would live.  
  
1...2...3...4...5...  
  
"Come on, Kagari!" Kira pleaded as he again breathed into her, repeating his pressing onto her chest.  
  
1...2...3...4...5...  
  
"Kagari, please wake up!"  
  
1...2...3...4...5...  
  
"Kagari!!!"  
  
Suddenly he heard several small coughs erupt from the blond-haired girl. Kira immediately stopped and held her body close to him, silently thanking whomever was listening that his prayer was answered. Kagari slowly opened her eyes, seeing the tear-filled face of her friend.  
  
"...Kira?" Kagari said softly, her voice hoarse from the ordeal as her strength began to return. "What happened?"  
  
Kira laughed slightly as he blinked back the tears he had shed, relieved to hear her voice once more, his spirits rejuvenated and his pain nonexistent for the moment. "How do you feel?" he asked.  
  
Kagari slowly moved away from the embrace she was in and tried to sit up. Sharp pain erupted from her right thigh, flashing white-hot through her entire body. She had experienced pain like this before, when she was part of the guerilla fighters of Orb. She knew right away what the injury was. Before she could answer, she saw that Kira's own leg was becoming swollen. "What happened to you?"  
  
"I'll be okay." He slowly got up, reminded once again of his own injuries as the throbbing pounded in his ears, nearly making him dizzy. Kagari also tried to stand but screamed in pain, her wounded leg pulling her back to the desert floor. Kira rushed over to help her, ignoring his own wounds. He could see easily that his friend's face was contorted in pain.  
  
"Kagari, are you all right?"  
  
"It's only a scratch." She reassured him, biting back the pain as she forced herself to a standing position. "We need to signal the Archangel, tell them where we are. My COM system is down so we need to use the Strike Gundam's." She saw Kira's leg, concern over the brown-haired pilot masking her throbbing pain. "Can you make it?"  
  
The pain reached an unbearable point for Kira already, the added pressure of Kagari leaning on him for her own support not helping. But both of them knew that once the Archangel was contacted, they could be rescued soon. Normally, they would have surely been found by now. Yet Kira decided not to dull the optimism for both of them.  
  
"I'll live."  
  
"You have a broken ankle and your leg is wounded, right?" They had come to a sandy slope, one which Kira knew he may not make it over but had to try anyway.  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Then what's the point of helping me walk if you're only going to end up worse?"  
  
"I'll be fine." Kira reassured her, forcing a smile onto his face. "We just have to get to the Gundam, that's all."  
  
Kagari was puzzled as she looked at her friend. He was determined to help her despite his own injuries, refusing to give in to his pain just to help her. It didn't make any sense, especially since Kira was the one who needed help also.  
  
Kira could see the confusion in the blonde's gold-colored eyes. He wanted to ask what was wrong but knew better not to. He never made it a business to pry into someone's problems if they didn't want it. Instead, he redoubled his efforts to help them both over the slope to the Strike Gundam, their ticket home to the Archangel.  
  
Home.  
  
Kira had to smile at the concept of calling the Alliance battleship home. Maybe, after the war was over, they would all rediscover what that word truly meant.  
  
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"What do you mean you lost their signal?" Captain Murrue Ramias demanded, her voice carrying over the Archangel's bridge.  
  
"We can't get a signal from either the Strike Gundam or the Sky Grasper, ma'am." Natarle, her helmsman and first officer, explained. "Contact was lost sometime after the battle."  
  
Murrue leaned forward in her command chair, thinking hard about their options. They couldn't stay in the desert forever but she didn't want to abandon Kira or Kagari out there somewhere. Since assuming command of the Alliance battleship, she had always felt a motherly need to protect the people under her command. Kira was one of them, given that she was part of the reason he became the Strike Gundam's pilot. In addition to being responsible for Kagari's safety, she knew that they had to find them. One thing Murrue didn't do was leave her own people alone.  
  
"I could take one of the Sky Graspers and look for them." Mwu La Fraga offered, laying a hand on her shoulder and shaking Murrue from her thoughts.  
  
"Very well." Murrue agreed. The blond-haired pilot then left the bridge, letting her attention return to her crew. "Keep trying to signal the Gundam and Sky Grasper in the meantime. I'm not leaving anyone behind today."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Milly replied from the COM station, silently agreeing with the captain as she switched from channel to channel to find an open signal.  
  
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Kira groaned in frustration as the COM system sparked, the once-active consoles going dark again. Earlier, he had left Kagari outside by some nearby wreckage so he could get the COM online. As he climbed out of the Strike Gundam, Kagari could easily see that he was met with no success. Sitting on the soft sand of the desert magnified the burning pain in both her thigh and her chest. At first, she could ignore it since it wasn't so severe. Now it sent white-hot flashes through her body, making her grind her fingers into the sand with every slow movement.  
  
"Are you okay?" Kira asked as he limped to her side, seeing the blond-haired girl in pain. Kagari opened her eyes as she tried to control her breathing, seeing the worry written on his face. The throbbing pain was making her dizzy, arching her back as she fought to regain controlof herself. With each breath, the pain increased in her chest, drowning out every other injury short of her wounded leg.  
  
"Aaahhh... my leg... it hurts..." Kagari managed to gasp out as she slowly straightened out. Kira knelt down, biting back the pain of his now-swollen ankle as he examined his friend. A large piece of metal was embedded in Kagari's thigh, the blood turning her pants a maroon color. He placed a hand on her leg as he pulled out the intrusive shard, feeling her stiffen as a new flash of pain invaded her senses. Kira carefully ripped open where the metal fragment was, exposing Kagari's thigh to the light of the flaming wreckage. He took some alcohol and some other things out of the emergency medical kit he salvaged from the Strike Gundam.  
  
"I'm going to try to clean this wound, okay?" Kira said. Seeing Kagari nod in acknowledgement, he ripped off a piece of his flight suit and poured some of the alcohol onto it. Once he laid it to the wound, Kagari drew a sharp breath as she ground her fingers into the sand, biting back the tears from the stinging sensation. Soon, the stinging subsided and she sighed softly in relief, the now cooling sensation of the liquid easing her pain somewhat. Soon, after she felt the bandages wrap around her leg, Kagari opened her eyes to see Kira re-enter the Strike Gundam, determined to reactivate the COM and get them home. A thought crossed her mind as she relaxed on the desert floor:  
  
Why was he so worried about her? Why did he care so much for her safety?  
  
The darkness of the night sky became more prominent as time passed for the two children, the stars and lights from the PLANTS casting a brilliance upon the heavens that made the expanse seen endless. As Kagari lay with Kira under the shelter of the Strike Gundam's Aile wings, her thoughts rested on the many people who now lived on the space colonies, some of who fought for the enemy forces known as ZAFT. The darkness grew as the flames slowly died, the silence growing as a question rested on Kagari's mind, the question she was afraid to ask out of fear of what may She glanced over at Kira, seeing him resting against the Strike Gundam, his leg propped on a piece of scrap to lessen the pain. Now was the time to ask.  
  
"Kira?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure. What is it?"  
  
"Um..." Her lips began to stutter, unsure of whether or not she should continue with something she wanted to ask since first meeting the brown-haired Coordinator at Heliopolis several months before, the first time he had cared for her safety. "Why do you care so much?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About me."  
  
Kira's cheeks flushed a light red as he turned to her, hoping the dark shadow of the Aile pack's wing would hide it. It was the one question he hadn't expected at all, especially from Kagari.  
  
"Well, you're my friend." Kira answered, hoping that she would leave it at that. "I'd do the same thing for anyone I care about, I guess."  
  
"I see..." Kagari continued to look at him, the words sinking into her mind. He cared about her. She reflected once more on the first day they had met, at his shock to see that she was a girl, at his urgency to get her to safety at the neglect of his own. There was something formed between them, a bond that neither of them could understand but seemed so familiar. Why did she feel so confused when she looked at Kira? What was this feeling she felt towards him? These questions would remain unanswered as she looked up to see the signal lights of another Sky Grasper hovering over them.  
  
End Part 1 


End file.
